Snacking in Camden, Lounging in South Kensington

A few months ago I found dirt-cheap overnight bus tickets from Amsterdam to London for last weekend--I scooped them up before I could give a second thought about what an overnight bus to London actually entails (which I found out later was 5 hours to Calais, 1.5 hours on a ferry to Dover, and 2 hours to London..ugh...but on the bright side, they still sell pints on the ferry at 4AM...eh why not?). I justified it by saying it would be great training for overnight bus travel in Asia, although I'm sure this bus is a luxury. Although I have heard Thai buses are pretty fancy too. This bus to London also meant I could visit my favorite Aussie friend!

I had 36 hours in London with Courtney and we really no had plans on the agenda. As in no. plans. whatsoever. We walked around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (which is where Will, Kate and lil George live! I love Kate!), ate lunch at Camden Market (my god, the choices!), got afternoon tea around the corner, ordered Indian takeaway at the hostel and just chatted about anything and everything while walking around South Kensington and Notting Hill. 

TRAVEL TIPS

Hostel: Astor Hyde Park...fun staff, perfect location by Hyde Park and pretty fancy

Bus: Eurolines.com, only 18 EUR...just couldn't pass it up. I also took a roundtrip bus to Bruges, Belgium, for only 25 EUR

Camden Market: come hungry and snack away!

Soon, I was back on the bus en route to Amsterdam (then off the bus, to metro, to work...why do I always do that to myself?). The best part of the weekend wasn't only seeing my fave Aussie, snacking on warm scones with cream and jam or chowing down on Venezuelan arepas at Camden Market--it was at the end of the weekend, before I hopped in a cab driven by a jolly Englishman, when my Aussie friend and I got to say 'see you in Mexico!'

Because that Aussie friend o' mine is one of my bridesmaids! So the 'See you in Mexico's' have begun...

Be right back--gone to London...

A couple of weeks ago I scurried off to London and unbeknownst to me the Queen’s Jubilee festivities were in full swing! I had seen the ins and outs of London a few years ago with my mom (my mom loves London) so I was there for one reason and one reason only: to meet up with a close girlfriend from California just before she embarked on her first ever Eurotrip! Despite only having 30 hours to soak up laughs with Amanda before heading back to Amsterdam, we still managed to squeeze in plenty of Pimm’s, Abbey Road, Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station and caught Hamlet at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Oddly enough, Hamlet was in Lithuanian as part of The Globe’s ‘Globe to Globe’ campaign—throughout the summer, the theater is putting on plays in a variety of languages, I think it’s a great idea! And they had English translations available on screens too for those who didn't have stellar Lithuanian skills ;).

Here’s a few snippets from my iPhone from my quicky weekend in London!

This weekend will be a mellow one in Holland--hope yours is a good one ;).

{I saw this vintage travel add for Normandy in the metro station--love it!}

 {Hamlet at The Globe!}

{Dodging cars on Abbey Road}